Advantages and Disadvantages of Perennial Flowers and Annual Flowers

The picture above shows a wrought iron arbor that is in my backyard. I have planted hyacinth bean vine to grow over it. Hyacinth bean vine flowers are annuals, these were started from seed.

The 2 trees in the background are Newport plums. They were about 5 feet tall when we bought them, now they are about 15 fee tall.

What you cannot see in this picture is the collection of perennials and annuals that feel in the entire circle behind the arbor.

The flowers on either side of the arbor are stone crop sedum. These are perennials, great long lasting flower, very easy to grow.

Each type of flower has its advantages and disadvantages.

If you shop at the garden centers for your annual flowers you will see lots of vibrant colored blooms already looking great.

The advantage here is you have an instant garden that will bloom all season long as long as you take proper care of the flowers. So if you prefer instant gratification in your flower garden plant annuals.

The disadvantage is the flower dies at the end of the season, when frost kills it. Then you have to remove it, and replace it with new plant the next year.

There are a few exceptions, some annual flowers have bulbs or tubers that you dig up at the end of the season and store in a cool dry place and then replant the next year.

With perennial flowers you buy them once, and with proper care your should have a beautiful plant for many years.

Many perennials can be divided after a few years and you then have many plants for the price of one.

The disadvantage with perennials is some don't bloom for a long period of time.

One way to save alot of money on your flower gardens is to start the flowers from seed. Read on to find out more about it.

The picture below shows hyacinth bean vine (the same flower that is growing in over the arbor above) sprouting up in a pot.

Sometimes I start seeds in pot then transfer them to their permanent location after they sprout.

These seeds and lots of others can be purchased from Freda's Favorite Flowers. The link is below.

Caring for your Perennial Flowers and Annual Flowers

The picture above shows creeping phlox. This is a perennial that spreads.

Most annual flowers benefit from regular maintenance.

This includes the following guidelines for healthier plants and longer bloom times.

Dead Head spent blooms - Sounds bad but it is not, flowers such as zinnias, marigolds, petunias, geraniums, and alot more need to be deadheaded.

What that means is- after the bloom dies back gently remove it from the plant.

Some plants need to be trimmed with garden trimmers to remove the dead flowers. Others snap right off.

Many annual flowers get leggy and spindly without proper deadheading. So go ahead and pinch it back, it is actually better for the plant.

It is my experience that all plants grow and bloom better planted directly in the ground. I start alot of plants in pots but for the best performance I later plant them in the ground.

This gives them more room for roots to grow and also mulch covered ground holds moisture much longer than pots. Planters dry out fast.

Water all plants in pots that are in hot weather often. Usually daily is best. Flowers will dry out and die quickly if they are not watered often.

Fertilize as directed. Make sure you follow manufactures instructions with all fertilizers. You can do more damage than good if you don't follow directions carefully.

Make sure you have good soil or amend it as necessary. We have added alot of topsoil to our gardens doing projects over the years. Adding topsoil makes digging easier too. Water your plants often.
I rarely fertilize my plants. But that is a personal choice. I prefer growing my plants organically.

I have so many perennial and annual flower gardens I focus mainly on lots of water and lots of deadheading. This has worked out good so far.

Hot months such as July and August are usually dry months too. So provide plenty of water for your flowers. They will reward you with beautiful blooms all season.

I love my flowers so much I cannot imagine planting them and neglecting them. The beauty and memories they provide are worth all of the work.

I take pictures of my flower gardens several times though out the year and I love to reflect back at the changes that we have made.

Each year we had added more space designated for my perennials and annuals. This year we created several new flower gardens. Some are not finished yet, we do them in stages, But when finished they are always very pretty.

Start YOUR Flower Gardens From Seed and Experience the Wonder of watching YOUR Favorite Flowers come to life

The photo on the right is of a new annual flower garden we created this year after we filled up an area where a pond used to be. I started this flower garden from flower seed I collected from last years annuals.

There are giant mixed zinnias in the center, mixed marigolds around the zinnias, hyacinth bean vine growing over the flower cart and a few other zinnias and sunflowers mixed in.

This garden area is still a work in progress, next year it will feature perennials and a step down, and we may even move our firepit here. We have several ideas. So keep coming back for updates

If you want to have a beautiful perennial garden and annual garden on a budget start from seed.